How to Lose Your Religion

[bbyrd009]

Religion is man's attempt to reach God, and as such is a primary conduit of knowledge and probably an unavoidable stage of man's development. But God does not want it to be this way, and a reading of the Bible reveals repeated chastisement of religious hierarchy, and the legalism of religion in general. This article shouldn't be construed as a condemnation of any religion, so much as one of your becoming religious.

Jesus was especially adamant against the pomp and privilege of the powers that be, and came to bring "The kingdom of Heaven beside you," to defeat them.
Although we, in our way, immediately made this into another religion, see that it is a Government (Isaiah 9:6)

It is easy to say a few words, maybe in a church, and then participate in a religion out of a desire to be closer to God; and this is an admirable first step. But when your religion fails you, as it surely should, see it as a doorway, right beside you, rather than a wall, and understand that a more spiritual path is for you to define (Phil 2:12).

See that many self-proclaimed 'atheists' may just be people who have heard the difference in the talk and the walk of most "Christians," and prefer the claim to empty rhetoric; and may participate in the Kingdom (Matt 21:28, 25:37). It doesn't matter what you say in this context; it matters what you do...(more)
http://www.wikihow.com/Lose-Your-Religion

[Amanah]

Creation Spirituality is Eastern Spirituality, is it not?
But it works just as well with Monastic Mysticism.

Twelve Principles of Creation Spirituality

1. The universe is fundamentally a blessing.
Our relationship with the Universe fills us with awe.

2. In Creation, God is both immanent and transcendent. This is panentheism which is not theism (God out there) and not atheism (no God anywhere).
We experience that the Divine is in all things and all things are in the Divine.

3. God is as much Mother as Father, as much Child as Parent, as much God in mystery as the God in history, as much beyond all words and images as in all forms and beings.
We are liberated from the need to cling to God in one form or one literal name.

4. In our lives, it is through the work of spiritual practice that we find our deep and true selves. Through the arts of meditation and silence we cultivate a clarity of mind and move beyond fear into compassion and community.

5. Our inner work can be understood as a four-fold journey involving:
- awe, delight, amazement (known as the Via Positiva)
- uncertainty, darkness, suffering, letting go (Via Negativa)
- birthing, creativity, passion (Via Creativa)
- justice, healing, celebration (Via Transformativa)
We weave through these paths like a spiral danced, not a ladder climbed.

6. Every one of us is a mystic.
We can enter the mystical as much through beauty (Via Positiva) as through contemplation and suffering (Via Negativa). We are born full of wonder and can recover it at any age.

7. Every one of us is an artist.
Whatever the expression of our creativity, it is our prayer and praise (Via Creativa).

8. Every one of us is a prophet.
Our prophetic work is to interfere with all forms of injustice and that which interrupts authentic life (Via Transformativa).

9. Diversity is the nature of the Universe. We rejoice in and courageously honor the rich diversity within the Cosmos and expressed among individuals and across multiple cultures, religions and ancestral traditions.

10. The basic work of God is compassion and we, who are all original blessings and sons and daughters of the Divine, are called to compassion.
We acknowledge our shared interdependence; we rejoice at one another's joys and grieve at one another's sorrows and labor to heal the causes of those sorrows.

11. There are many wells of faith and knowledge drawing from one underground river of Divine wisdom. The practice of honoring, learning and celebrating the wisdom collected from these wells is Deep Ecumenism.
We respect and embrace the wisdom and oneness that arises from the diverse wells of all the sacred traditions of the world.

12. Ecological justice is essential for the sustainability of life on Earth.
Ecology is the local expression of cosmology and so we commit to live in light of this value: to pass on the beauty and health of Creation to future generations.

http://originalblessing.ning.com/pag...es-of-creation

[Amanah]

I can appreciate Eastern Religion, Spiritual Practice, and the inclusiveness of seeing all as one. Intelectually, I like it.

But, the Bible teaches us that we are born with a flawed nature, and that flawed nature is capable of the vilest of actions.

Christ came to shed his blood to cover our sins and when we are filled with his Spirit, we are adopted as his children, we change our parental lineage, we are given a new nature.

Creation Spirituality offers spiritual disciplines as a way for us to change our behaviours, versus receiving the Spirit of God which gives us a new nature.

[bbyrd009]

Well, cool! Ty for the outline. My feeling (apparently, lol) is that you should do both? I think this might be an expansion of "do the one, but don't neglect the other."
Although I could be slaughtering Scripture here, my feeling is "not." Having come from condemnation, to redemption, this feels like sanctification, to me, of a type at least. I note that this "Eastern" philosophy (now being parroted and expanded by many Western mystics) doesn't deny our need for redemption; but (coming from fire and brimstone, myself) sure seems to approach it in a more Biblically...holistic? way.

I have already noted our preoccupation with death in the West, in Recognize the Fallacy of Death Centric Western Christian Models...and for some reason, I'm led now to mention that I've recently read in an AFF post that church seems to be more about entertainment lately than repentance, and that you rarely hear crying in church, more often (partying), to paraphrase the gist.
It's weird, because I understand this, where it is coming from~and would like to suggest that while it initially might seem like apostasy, and in fact might be in some/many cases, it may also (simultaneously) be a type of Western awakening, and that demonstrating "Life, more abundantly" to the secular might more surely bring in those who need to cry?

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by Amanah

...Creation Spirituality offers spiritual disciplines as a way for us to change our behaviours, versus receiving the Spirit of God which gives us a new nature.

I'm not seeing a denial of the second in the first? I'd say that this strikes me as putting the "greater things" that salvation has prepared for you into practice~and Christ has become much less abstract to me, is more in...well, just in now, everyday life, in a way that He was not. You?

[Amanah]

bbyrd, do you believe that we are born with a nature of sin that needs to be regenerated, or do you believe that we are born with a perfect nature?

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by Amanah

bbyrd, do you believe that we are born with a nature of sin that needs to be regenerated, or do you believe that we are born with a perfect nature?

the short answer is yes : )
I believe we are born into a sinful nature, but are born sinless. A baby will eventually inevitably sin as a natural consequence of undisciplined free will, but cannot sin until the age of accountability, yes?
That vision that you had of the world, that we all had as a child, is the Church to me.

[KWSS1976]

LoL...Go to any church then read your bible and take into account the pews, offering, air conditioning, instruments, and bank payments on the facilities (i.e) debt...O and lets not forget the Alter calls and the laying on of hands for 45mins tring to get someone to speak in tongues as (evidence)..That will make one lose there Religion

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by KWSS1976

LoL...Go to any church then read your bible and take into account the pews, offering, air conditioning, instruments, and bank payments on the facilities (i.e) debt...O and lets not forget the Alter calls and the laying on of hands for 45mins tring to get someone to speak in tongues as (evidence)..That will make one lose there Religion

Ha hopefully; yet it becomes the initial step to a better path for some, nonetheless. Although I guess more damage is done than good.